Earl Lugo, a coach in Azalea Park Little League, believes in heroes. He wants the youngsters from his working-class east Orange County neighborhood to believe in them, too.
So Lugo recruited a childhood friend — professional graffiti artist Hector "Nicer" Nazario — to paint a large-scale mural of baseball hero Roberto Clemente at the Azalea Park baseball field. The Puerto Rican Hall of Famer died in a 1972 plane crash while delivering aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims. His humanitarian efforts earned him a Congressional Gold Medal.
"I think to have his face really big at the entrance of that park will represent his honor and make these kids feel important," said Lugo, 43, who grew up in Bronx, N.Y.
Saturday's mural painting will be a high point in a campaign to clean up the field, which has fallen into disrepair.
